Device for printing addresses



Aug. 2, 1955 U 2,714,350

DEVICE FOR PRINTING ADDRESSES Filed March 18, 1954 United States Patent 0 DEVICE FOR PRINTING ADDRESSES Gerhard Lis, Hamburg-Langenhorn, Germany, assignor to John H. Stielow, Hamburg Langenhorn, Germany Application March 18, 1954, Serial No. 417,159

Claims priority, application Germany May 27, 1953 4 Claims. (Cl. 101-426) The present invention relates to a new or improved device for printing addresses. Besides the known highlydeveloped and complicated address printing machines attempts have been made to provide printing devices wh1ch operate in a satisfactory manner, in order to provide an economic means for address-printing also for those establishments in which the purchase of an expensive addressing machine would not be justified. Thus for example address printing devices are known in which all the movements necessary for printing an address are completed by the depression of a single lever. Such devices are however only suitable for those printing processes in which the sheet to be printed lies between the printing plate and a travelling ink carrier. The known devlces are not suitable for printing by means of address cards produced on the typewriter, in which therefore the pa- 5 per to be printed lies below the address card.

In order that for such purposes a reliable and essentially simple appliance can be provided for inking and printing, it is necessary so to arrange the impression roller that it is caused to roll back and forth on the address card independently of the operating pressure of the hand lever and with a uniform operating pressure.

This is done according to the invention by the fact that the impression roller is connected with a hand lever, which is of single-arm construction, through a pivoted arm and with the assistance of a spring in such manner that it is displaced by the hand lever on running onto the address card and against the action of the spring and that on the return movement and again lifting the hand lever it rolls back over the address card.

Apart from the fact that thereby a regular inking of the address card and likewise a uniform pressure is obtained merely by the spring pressure, the action of the impression roller on the hand lever through a pivoted arm has also the advantage that the roller can be brought against an inking pad in its movement towards the address card, said ink pad being disposed in the path of the rocking movement of the roller. Also it is of importance that by limiting the rocking movement of the hand lever in a simple manner the rolling path of the impression roller onto the address card can be altered so that according to requirements the address can be printed on one or more lines.

One constructional example of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a device in section seen from one side in the position of rest and in dotted lines during the inking of the impression roller.

Fig. 2 shows the device in elevation after the printing movement and in dotted lines after the return movement therefrom.

Essentially the device consists of a printing lever 1 which is pivotally supported by means of a fork 1a at 1b. To each side of the fork member 1a are pivoted at 2a a carrier arm 2 for the impression roller 3. Springs 4 tend to force the lever 2 against stops 1c of the fork lever 1a. 5 is a spreader roller likewise freely supported be-. tween the levers 2.

An ink pad 6 which is provided in an adjustable holder 7 embodies a convex outer surface, preferably concentric with the axis of lever 1, such that on rocking the lever 1 from the position 1 the roller 3 is moved towards the position 3 on the pad 6. 8 is a frame for address cards 9, which is held in the lifted position of Fig. 1 under the action of blade springs 10.

At both sides of the device are located (see Fig. 2) stop plates 10 which bear against cam disc 12 under the action of springs 11 and of which a common shaft 13 is rotatable by means of a handle 14. 15 shows an adjustable stop fora piece of paper 16 to be printed which is placed beneath the frame 8 and the address card 9.

The method of operating the device is as follows:

On depressing the lever 1 through the position 1' in Fig. 1 and the position 1 in Fig. 2 the impression roller in position 3 has rolled over the inking pad 6 and thus absorbed ink and in the position 3 of Fig. 2 it reaches the address card 9 and presses onto the paper 16 to be printed together with the frame 8 against the action of the spring 10" so as to force these parts into the position 9'. On further movement of the lever 1 into the position 1", la the support arms 2 spread apart into the position 2' against the springs 4 whereby the impression roller in its movement from the position 3" to the position 3 rolls over the address card 9 and on release of the lever 1 from its position 1" to the position 1" it moves back and produces printing on the paper 16. It is of importance in this connection that during the printing operation the printing pressure of the ink roll is obtained solely from the spring 4 and is therefore independent of the pressure exerted by the lever 1. If now the lever is moved back from the position 1 towards the normal position shown in Fig. 1 the inking roll 3 moves back again over the upper surface of the pad 6. The upper and lower edges of the pad are so constructed that in the positions 3 and 3" the ink roller is lifted clear of the pad.

In the position 1" of the lever 1 shown in Fig. 2 the stops 17 press against the stop plates 10. If printing is not to be effected over the whole width of the printing plate 9 the cam discs 14 are so rotated that according to the rotation of the discs 14, for example into the position 14, the stop plates are moved to such a position 10 that they form a preliminary stop for the lever 1, 1a.

For clearness on the drawing only the essential parts of the device have been shown. Obviously the address cards 9 can be supplied in the known manner progressively along a straight track one after the other from a magazine into the printing position and thence into a receiving magazine. The feed of the cards can thus also be eflFected by the movement of the printing lever 11. Moreover the device shown and described should only be regarded as an example. Thus for example instead of using the stationary inking pad 6 an inking roller can be used.

What I claim is:

1. An address printing machine comprising a pivoted actuating lever, an arm pivoted thereto, stop means on said lever to limit the movement of said arm in one direction, spring means tending to maintain said arm in contact with said stop, an inking pad traversable by said impression roller during the initial depression movement of the actuating lever, said pad having a surface substantially concentric with the axis of said lever so that during said initial movement the arm is not substantially displaced in relation to the lever, a paper support surface, a printing element holder extending forwardly of said inking pad and positioned over the paper support surface, the paper being inserted between said surface and said Patented. Aug. 2, 1,955

holder, the arrangement being such that on further depression of the lever the impression roller moves off said inking pad and traverses a printing element mounted in said holder while the arm moves pivotally in relation to said lever against said spring so that the pressure exerted on the printing element is determined solely by said spring.

2. An address printing machine comprising a pivoted actuating lever, an arm extending forwardly therefrom and pivoted thereto, stop means on said lever to limit the movement of said arm in one direction in a normal forwardly projecting position, spring means tending to maintain said arm in contact with said stop, an inking pad traversable by said impression roller during the initial depression movement of the actuating lever, said pad having a surface substantially concentric with the axis of said lever so that during said initial movement the arm is not substantially displaced in relation to the lever, a paper support, a yieldably mounted printing element holder extending forwardly of said inking pad over the paper support, the paper being inserted between said surface and said holder and means whereby on further depression of the lever the impression roller moves oif said inking pad and traverses a printing element mounted in said holder and hence presses the printing element onto a piece of paper on said support and prints onto the paper while the arm moves pivotally in relation to said lever against said spring so that the pressure exerted on the printing element is determined solely by said spring.

3. An address printing machine according to claim 2 further comprising adjustable stop means to limit the depression movement of the actuating lever.

4. An address printing machine according to claim 3 wherein the stop means comprises pivoted stop plates engageable by pins on the actuating lever, further comprising a rotatable cam for adjusting the position of said stop plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,253,361 Evans Jan. 15, 1918 1,443,316 Evans Jan. 23, 1923 1,615,058 Wolfson Ian. 18, 1927 2,097,199 Levay Oct. 26, 1937 

